You may have seen the majority of Americans celebrating yesterday as their team qualified for the World Cup. After all, the US Men’s National Team has not taken part in it for over 20 years. But with their chances looking increasingly bleak, most people did not expect them to qualify – especially after losing to Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday. So why didn’t they make it? Recall if you will, that back in October last year, there was a vote that took place regarding which nation would be able to take part in this World Cup. There were two options: one where the USA would take part but with no automatic qualification; or another where they wouldn’t take part at all. The second option won by a wide margin (159 votes vs 133) – and it is because of those few hundred individuals that the United States does not have a place at this World Cup. Let us tell you why…
Why Is The USA Not In The World Cup?
Unfortunately, the United States has not qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2018. The last time they qualified was in 1986. This is because they are not one of the top seven teams in the world, which are the only teams that can qualify for the World Cup. The United States is currently ranked 28th in the world, and there are 26 teams ahead of them that qualify for the World Cup.
Who Voted To Not Have The Usa In The World Cup?
1. The US Soccer Federation (USSF)
The US Soccer Federation is the one who voted to not allow the USA to take part in the World Cup. They are a private organization that governs the sport in America. The federation was formed in 1914 and is made up of over 125,000 members, with all of them being US citizens. The USSF has been at the forefront of many controversies since its formation. In 2002, there were two bids for hosting this World Cup – one for Mexico and one for America. The Mexican bid was ultimately won by their country’s government, but this did not stop the US Soccer Federation from trying to host it themselves. They were unsuccessful and Mexico got the nod – but only after a long legal battle that lasted over three years!
2. The United States Congress
Another group involved with not allowing the USA to take part in this World Cup are those who sit within Congress. They have refused to grant extensions on visas for players who would be taking part in this World Cup. The US Soccer Federation has tried to get them to change their minds, but they have refused.
3. The American people
The American people are also involved in not allowing the US Men’s National Team to take part in the World Cup. They voted for a referendum (a vote where you can choose between two options) regarding whether or not the US would be able to take part or not. They voted against it – and it is because of them that the USA was unable to take part (and Trinidad and Tobago will be taking their place).
4. The US Congress wants to make money off the World Cup
The US Congress is in charge of allocating funds for the World Cup. They have been doing this for many years now, and have made a lot of money from it – over $3 billion! As you can imagine, this means that they want to keep making as much money as possible from this tournament – and it is not only them who want to see that happen. The other countries who are taking part in the World Cup also want to make money from it too – especially those who will be hosting games during it! If the US was allowed to take part in it, then there would be a good chance that much fewer people would come and watch games on TV during the tournament; therefore less money would be made.
5. The United States Supreme Court
The United States Supreme Court has also played its part in not allowing the USA to take part in this World Cup. They have ruled against the US Soccer Federation every time they have tried to take on this issue – even though it does not affect them directly! The reason for this is that all of the people who voted for America to not take part had done so by mail or at polling stations – and these were just a few individuals within Congress who were able to reach enough votes to block it from getting through!
How Is This Related To Fifa?
1. The United States Government
The final group who voted against America taking part in this World Cup are those within the government in Washington DC. It has been stated that there was an “agreement” between the President of the United States and FIFA which meant that they would be able to take part. But this was not made public, and when it became known, it was too late – as there were already members of Congress who had voted against allowing this country to host it themselves!
2. Mexican Football Federation
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) is also one of the groups that voted against allowing America’s participation in this World Cup. While they do not have a vote within Congress, they do have a large number of members who are involved with the sport in some capacity. The FMF was also responsible for getting Mexico selected to host this World Cup – something that proved to be difficult as well!
3. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF)
Another group involved with not allowing the USA to take part in this World Cup are those who sit within the USA Soccer Federation. They have refused to grant extensions on visas for players who would be taking part in this World Cup. The US Soccer Federation has tried to get them to change their minds, but sadly they have not succeeded.
4. Trinidad and Tobago
The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago beat out all other nations to become the first team to qualify for this year’s tournament by beating Mexico on Tuesday night – a result that shocked many this, but not only has the Congress refused, but they have also threatened to prevent the US from taking part in future tournaments.
How Is This Related To The USA?
1. Major League Soccer (MLS)
MLS is the top-level American soccer league, with many of its players having aspirations to play for their country in the World Cup. But because of the visa issue, they are unable to do so. The US soccer federation has tried to get them to change their policy on this matter, but they have refused.
2. The American Outlaws
This is a group of fans who support their country and call themselves “The USA’s greatest fans”. They are known for chanting at games and being very vocal when watching games on TV or online. They have been campaigning hard in recent years for people to support the USA in this year’s World Cup – and they have succeeded in getting people involved! You can see some of their chants below:
3. Professional Sports Writers Association (PSWA)
The only reason that the US Soccer Federation has been able to take part in this World Cup is because of a law that was passed in 1996, allowing them to do so. This law also allows FIFA and CONCACAF – the governing body for football in North and Central America – to grant visas for players from those regions. This means that if Congress were to refuse their extension, then there would be no visas granted and the USA would not be able to take part in this World Cup.
3. The United States Senate
The US Soccer Federation has tried to get the Senate to change its mind on this matter – but they have refused. They say that granting visas for players is not a top priority for them and that it would be better for them to focus on other issues.
Conclusion
The USA may be the most powerful nation on the planet, but they are not even the most dominant footballing nation in North America. That honor goes to Mexico who, along with the USA, are joint favorites to win the 2026 tournament. But, as we have seen, the USA would not have even qualified for that tournament had the FIFA Council not expanded the number of teams taking part in the World Cup. However, this decision has caused a lot of controversies. Many have suggested that FIFA prioritized increasing the size of its tournament over giving smaller nations a chance to take part. This is something that CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has agreed with, saying that the expansion of the World Cup has “really hurt a lot of the smaller nations”. This has led to the decision to let the USA participate in the tournament without having to go through qualifying being labeled the “CONCACAF lifeline”.
